Join us at the Blossom and Open Day on Saturday 22 April 2023.

Free event. All welcome.

Blossom & Open Day at Donkey Lane Community Orchard

 

Blossom & Open Day at the Orchard 2022

 

Blossom

 

Photo courtesy of Keith Webley

Photo courtesy of Keith Webley

It's the middle of March and already some garden trees in Chinnor are in blossom, either pink or white ornamental cherries with their delicate blooms which are even more noticeable because the trees are not yet in leaf. And already the Magnolias are showing their large buds ready to burst into spectacular flower to transform some lucky peoples' front gardens.I was surprised to discover that Magnolias are such an old family that they have been around for at least 20 million years. And that was before there were many flying insects such as bees to pollinate them, so they relied on the heavier beetles which had already evolved.

Of course all our native British broadleaved trees are flowering plants, and some have small greenish flowers that can easily be overlooked amongst the leaves. But there is one family which generally produces showy flowers and that is the Rose family. Perhaps the tree which is most associated with spring and the old festivals which marked the turning of the year, is the hawthorn with its abundant May blossom. Of the plants cultivated by man, as well as garden roses, this large family includes both apples and pears, as well as plums, cherries and almonds.

In England there used to be many customs associated with hawthorn blossom, and the cover of the book 'Chinnor in Camera' first published in 1988, shows a photograph of children holding their garlands on May Day around a century ago. Inside is the 'garlanding song' they sang as they went around the village. More recently towards the end of the last century, a May Fayre was revived at nearby Kingston Blount. A May King and Queen were chosen and school children displayed the different dances around the be-ribboned Maypole. Read more ... 

Not a Donkey Lane Community Orchard Blossom Day!

This weekend would have seen our second Blossom Open Day at the orchard. Unfortunately due to the current restrictions, we are unable to go ahead with the event.

To help brighten up the day and to show the amazing transformation of the orchard since the renovation started in January 2019, we are publishing The Donkey Lane Photo Albums. This is a collection of photographs taken by one of our intrepid volunteers, Keith Webley, who has been documenting the evolution of the orchard since we started. The albums can be viewed in any order but I would suggest that you start in chronological order and just see the amazing work of our volunteers and the transformation of the orchard into a lovely, tranquil space.

To find our gallery click here

Blossom & Open Day

      

We held our first open event on the 28 April. We were concerned that after storms, there would not be any blossom left for anyone to enjoy.

We needn't have worred, there was still plenty for our visitors to see. After erecting our gazebo and putting up photos and information on the history of the site, we had a steady stream of visitors all afternoon who enjoyed a stroll around the orchard and discussions with our lovely volunteers about the project. Then to enjoy some refreshments. Thank you to everyone who came along and supporte the event. And for all the wonderful possitive feedback. Thanks also to Jeanette and Carol for children's blossom trail.

If you'd like to find out more about how you can join or support this project, contact me at greeningchinnor@gmail.com or sign up to our newsletter which is the best way of finding out about volunteering opportunities. Or come along to one of our working parties and pop in and have a chat with us.